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望而却步

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: wàng ér què bù
  • English Translation: To shrink back at the sight of something (daunted by difficulty or cost)
  • Idiom Composition: 「望」（To look at from a distance）＋「而」（A conjunction (and/then)）＋「却」（To retreat or step back）＋「步」（Step or pace）
  • Meaning: To be so overwhelmed by the sight of a difficulty, danger, or high cost that one gives up or steps back before even trying. It emphasizes a psychological barrier where the mere sight of the challenge is enough to discourage action.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「望而却步」 contains the following nuances:

  • Retreating Before Trying: The core of this idiom is that the retreat happens at the 'looking' (望) stage. It is not about failing after an attempt, but rather deciding it is impossible based on the initial observation.
  • Broad Range of Objects: While it can refer to physical danger, it is widely applied to anything that feels 'out of reach,' such as high prices, intellectual difficulty, or strict social barriers.

3. Usage

「望而却步」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Price and Cost: Frequently used when the price of a product or service is so high that it kills the desire to purchase.
    • Example:「这套房子的价格高得离谱，让许多购房者望而却步。」
      （The price of this house is ridiculously high, making many potential buyers shrink back.)
  • Difficulty and Requirements: Used when the standards for a test, job, or project are so high that people hesitate to apply or participate.
    • Example:「虽然这份工作薪水很高，但苛刻的招聘条件让人望而却步。」
      （Although the salary for this job is high, the harsh recruitment conditions make people hesitate to apply.)
  • Intimidating Atmosphere: Can be used when a person's attitude is cold or a place's atmosphere is so solemn that it feels unapproachable.
    • Example:「他那严肃冷漠的表情，让想跟他搭话的人望而却步。」
      （His stern and cold expression makes those who want to talk to him shrink back.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 复杂的申请流程往往会让申请者望而却步。
    （The complex application process often makes applicants give up in frustration.）
  2. 面对前方的万丈深渊，探险队不得不望而却步。
    （Facing the bottomless abyss ahead, the expedition team had no choice but to halt their progress.）
  3. 昂贵的医疗费用让很多贫困家庭望而却步。
    （Expensive medical costs make many poor families unable to afford treatment.）
  4. 这本书充满了晦涩难懂的专业术语，让普通读者望而却步。
    （This book is full of obscure professional jargon, which discourages ordinary readers.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom is most frequently used in the causative structure 让 (ràng) + [Person] + 望而却步 (wàng ér què bù), which translates to 'to deter someone' or 'to make someone think twice.'
  • In modern Chinese, while it can imply a lack of courage, it is often used neutrally to describe an objective situation where the barrier to entry is simply too high for the average person.
  • The phrase is found in the writings of Xu Guangqi (徐光启), a famous scholar of the Ming Dynasty (明朝) known for introducing Western science to China. It reflects the reaction of those who were intimidated by the complexity of new knowledge.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

望而却步 (wàng ér què bù) describes the act of retreating or giving up immediately upon seeing how difficult, dangerous, or expensive something is. It is most commonly used in the structure 让 (ràng) ... 望而却步 (wàng ér què bù), meaning 'to make someone shrink back' or 'to deter someone' from a particular course of action.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

wàng ér què bù
望而却步
Deterred by the Sight
shēng huó生活zhōng中，yǒu有yī zhǒng一种fàng qì放弃fā shēng发生dé得hěn很zǎo早。

In life, there is a kind of giving up that happens very early.

shèn zhì甚至zài在nǐ你hái还méi yǒu没有kāi shǐ开始xíng dòng行动zhī qián之前，tā它jiù就yǐ jīng已经fā shēng发生le了。

It happens even before you have started to take action.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，nǐ你zhàn站zài在yī zuò一座fēi cháng非常gāo高de的shān jiǎo xià山脚下，tái tóu抬头wǎng往shàng上kàn看。

Imagine standing at the foot of a very high mountain, looking up.

shān dǐng山顶zài在yún云lǐ里，lù路kàn qǐ lái看起来yòu又dǒu陡yòu又zhǎng长。

The peak is in the clouds, and the path looks steep and long.

qí shí其实nǐ你de的tǐ lì体力hái还bù cuò不错，zhuāng bèi装备yě也dài qí带齐le了，dàn但jiù就zài在tái tóu抬头kàn看de的nà那yī shùn jiān一瞬间，nǐ你xīn lǐ心里tū rán突然jué de觉得：“zhè这tài太nán难le了，wǒ我kěn dìng肯定bù xíng不行。”

Actually, your physical strength is fine and your gear is ready, but the moment you look up, you suddenly think: "This is too hard, I definitely can't do it."

yú shì于是，nǐ你zhuǎn guò shēn转过身，jué dìng决定bù不pá爬le了。

So, you turn around and decide not to climb.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种xīn lǐ心理，jiào叫“wàng ér què bù望而却步”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this psychology called 望而却步.

zhè这sì gè四个zì字jiù就xiàng像yí gè一个màn dòng zuò慢动作jìng tóu镜头。

These four characters are like a slow-motion camera shot.

“wàng望”，shì是yuǎn yuǎn远远dì地kàn看；“què bù却步”，shì是xiàng向hòu后tuì suō退缩，tíng xià停下jiǎo bù脚步。

望 means to look from a distance; 却步 means to shrink back and stop one's steps.

hé合qǐ lái起来，jiù shì就是yīn wèi因为kàn dào看到le了qián miàn前面de的kùn nán困难、wēi xiǎn危险huò zhě或者jù dà巨大de的tiǎo zhàn挑战，hái还méi没qù去cháng shì尝试，jiù就bèi被xià吓dé得tuì退le了huí lái回来。

Combined, it means being so intimidated by the sight of difficulties, dangers, or huge challenges ahead that you retreat before even trying.

wǒ men我们zài在shén me shí hòu什么时候zuì最róng yì容易“wàng ér què bù望而却步”ne呢？

When are we most likely to 望而却步?

wǎng wǎng往往shì是zài在miàn duì面对nà xiē那些kàn qǐ lái看起来hěn很gāo dà高大、hěn很fù zá复杂，huò zhě或者hěn很yǒu有jù lí gǎn距离感de的shì wù事物shí时。

It is often when facing things that look tall, complex, or distant.

bǐ rú比如，zǒu jìn走进yī jiā一家zhuāng xiū装修jí qí极其háo huá豪华de的shāng diàn商店，suī rán虽然nǐ你yě也xiǎng想mǎi dōng xī买东西，dàn但kàn dào看到nà zhǒng那种áng guì昂贵de的qì fēn气氛，nǐ你kě néng可能huì会bù gǎn不敢jìn qù进去；bǐ rú比如，xiǎng想dú读yī běn一本jīng diǎn经典de的míng zhù名著，dàn但kàn dào看到tā它xiàng像zhuān tóu砖头yī yàng一样hòu厚，lǐ miàn里面quán全shì是shēng pì生僻zì字，nǐ你kě néng可能lián连dì yī yè第一页dōu都méi没fān kāi翻开jiù就fàng放huí qù回去le了；yòu又huò zhě或者，kàn dào看到yī fèn一份lǐ xiǎng理想de的gōng zuò工作，dàn但zhāo pìn招聘yāo qiú要求xiě写dé得fēi cháng非常yán gé严格，nǐ你jué de觉得zì jǐ自己kě néng可能bù gòu不够hǎo好，yú shì于是lián连jiǎn lì简历dōu都méi yǒu没有tóu投。

For example, walking into an extremely luxurious store; although you want to buy something, the expensive atmosphere might make you afraid to enter. Or wanting to read a classic masterpiece, but seeing it is as thick as a brick and full of rare words, you might put it back without even opening the first page. Or seeing an ideal job, but the requirements are so strict that you feel you aren't good enough, so you don't even submit a resume.

“wàng ér què bù望而却步”zhè ge这个cí词，qí shí其实jiē shì揭示le了yí gè一个hěn很yǒu qù有趣de的xiàn xiàng现象：zǔ ài阻碍wǒ men我们de的，wǎng wǎng往往bú shì不是kùn nán困难běn shēn本身，ér shì而是kùn nán困难“kàn qǐ lái看起来”de的yàng zi样子。

The term 望而却步 actually reveals an interesting phenomenon: what hinders us is often not the difficulty itself, but how the difficulty "looks."

tā它bú shì不是zài在shuō说nǐ你zhēn de真的zuò bú dào做不到，ér shì而是zài在shuō说，nà ge那个mù biāo目标zhǎn xiàn展现chū lái出来de的qì shì气势，yā dǎo压倒le了nǐ你de的xìn xīn信心。

It is not saying you truly cannot do it, but that the momentum displayed by the goal has overwhelmed your confidence.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语suī rán虽然shì是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种tuì suō退缩，dàn但tā它yě也xiàng像shì是yí miàn一面jìng zi镜子。

Therefore, although this idiom describes a retreat, it also acts like a mirror.

xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你duì对mǒu某jiàn件shì事gǎn dào感到“wàng ér què bù望而却步”de的shí hòu时候，yě xǔ也许kě yǐ可以tíng xià lái停下来wèn问wèn问zì jǐ自己：wǒ我shì是zhēn de真的zuò bú dào做不到，hái shì还是zhǐ shì只是bèi被tā它xià dào吓到le了？

Next time you feel 望而却步 toward something, perhaps you can stop and ask yourself: Am I truly unable to do it, or am I just intimidated by it?

yīn wèi因为hěn很duō多shí hòu时候，zhǐ yào只要nǐ你bù zài不再zhǐ shì只是yuǎn yuǎn远远dì地“wàng望”，ér shì而是shì zhe试着mài chū迈出dì yī bù第一步，nà ge那个ràng让nǐ你hài pà害怕de的jù lí距离，qí shí其实bìng并méi yǒu没有nà me那么yuǎn远。

Because many times, as long as you no longer just 望 from afar but try to take the first step, that scary distance is actually not that far.

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